Can I Train Twice a Day Effectively?

Question: I’m reading your Basic Training for Roadies with great interest because I have the time constraints that you address. Unfortunately, home and work often limit my training to just 30-45 minutes per ride. My high school coaches loved two-a-day workouts. Can I get fit if I ride twice each day but only 30 minutes at a time? — Charley R.

Coach Fred Matheny Replies: My high school and college football coaches loved two-a-days, too. In fact, my college coach loved them so much that we practiced three times a day during pre-season my senior year. Whew! By the time the regular season started, we were almost too tired to play.

It’s certainly possible to get in a good workout in 30 minutes. And doing it twice daily adds up to substantial training time. The problem with such short rides is fitting in a proper warm up, then the quality work, and then a cool down. It takes good planning.

Something to consider is that it’s much easer to train this way indoors. Outside, you might have to ride for 15 minutes to reach good training roads. Your time allotment may be gone just riding there and riding back.

One other point: Considering the time to dress twice and clean up twice for a pair of 30-minute rides, it may take less total time for a more productive 75-minute ride.